Does anyone else suffer from chronic hives? If so, how do you deal with it?

I have had chronic hives for 7 years and I get hives pretty much everyday. I have been on every antihistamine possible and I am now taking a light dose of prednisone because I had a bad flare up of hives last week (ended up in the ER twice). I have seen many doctors who all say that I will outgrow this, but 7 years later I am still living with chronic hives. I have had thyroid and immune system tests that have come back ok and I have been tested for many other food allergies. does anyone else suffere from this? does anyone know of any foods that I can be tested for that are not as obvious (I have been tested for wheat,oat,corn,milk,chocolate,tree nuts)? Thanks!

It sounds like we're ALL with you on this one. I've had the same problem and have taken Zyrtec which seems to calm it down alot. I still flare up once in awhile but better once in awhile than all day everyday. Zyrtec will be over the counter REAL soon. Have you tried taking an Aveeno bath? Do you sit in the sun alot? I found that the past 2 summers I did and I think thats' the cause of mine. good luck wish I could help!

I had hives for over 5 years and like you had to deal with them almost everyday. they ended up being controlled by an asthma medicine. The one that got them under control for me was serevent but I have heard of a couple of different ones helping different people. My hives went away over 5 years ago when I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease (intolerance to gluten found in wheat, rye or barley). My recommendation is to get your doctor to run tests for Celiac Disease, dermititis herpetiformis and gluten intolerance. The testing starts with blood workup and then possibly an endoscopy. it is important to keep consuming gluten products until after the testing. Then if the tests are negative, try the gluten free diet for a month or two and see if the hives go away. An intolerance won't show up on an allergy test. Celiac disease alters the lining of the small intestine and changes absorptions of different nutrients which sets up an underlying condition in some people(my theory here) which then can cause hives to be triggered. I also take a gluten free multivitamin and Omega 3-6-9 capsules. I have been on a gluten free diet for over 5 years, no hives, no medicines. Good luck and feel free to contact me with questions

Hives treatment by eliminating the triggering factor

It is very important to know the cause of allergic reaction. Once you found out the triggering agent, it becomes very easy to fight the battle. Hives treatment by using cool compression

By applying the cool compression it may help to provide some relief from the pain and itch. Hives treatment by using calamine lotion

By applying this lotion it can grant you relief from the itchy feeling. Hives treatment by using milk of magnesia

By dabbing milk of magnesia on the lesions, provides some relief. As milk of magnesia is an alkaline solution it helps in removing the irritating itchy sensation. Hives treatment by using herbal tea

Calming our nerves is one of the important things to do, as stress makes the matter worse. Drinking peppermint or passionflower tea is very good. you can also try chamomile, valerian and catnip which also soothe your nerves. Hives treatment by using cornstarch

To stop the itching get 1/2 a tub filled with warm water, add 1/2 cup cornstarch and 1/2 cup baking soda. Soaking yourself at least once a day can make a lot of difference. Hives treatment by using aloe vera gel

Applying aloe vera gel or vitamin E oil to the affected area at least twice a day can benefit you a lot. Hives treatment by using nettles

Have nettle tea which is made by 2 tsp. powdered stinging nettles. you can add honey or lemon to add flavor your tea. Hives treatment by using cayenne pepper

Consume cayenne pepper capsules to help the healing procedure. you can also have vitamin C, vitamin E or zinc for quick relief.

Yup im right there with you. I've had them for about 2 years now and they suck. I can never wear clothes that show any skin because they literally cover me..thank god they havent hit my face yet. But they're so itchy that i have to carry predisone and hydrocortisone cream with me every where i go. But i got allergy tested and nothing really came up..but then one day i went to the dentist and my dentist saw them and we started talking about it and she listed a bunch of things it could be so i got rid of them and was hive free for a few months. anyways she mentioned..shampoo/detergent/sprays/thin… you use to clean you house/ anything you put on your body-soaps/lotions. basically take a shower and scrub your body with a towel and then go a few days with out using any products-no make up, dont use sprays, only wear clothes youve washed in hot water-no detergent. just try to stay away from lysol and all cleaning products and see if they go away. Thats what i did i washed all my clothes in hot water and then stopped using cleaning products in my house and my hives went away. I know how hard it has been because the hives can literally be caused from anything..but give this a try and let me know how it goes!

I'm in my mid 30's. I had this when I was very young up to about age 9-10 which disappeared. (usual allergies,asthma, etc) Then at about 20 it reappeared even worse. I went about 2 years with it, test after test and two things were found that finally ceased the problem. (mine was bad too, on steroids, meds etc) The walls in my room had developed mold. I was breathing the mold in my room and it was causing the hives. Also, I developed an allergy to detergent. At that time, I moved into a different room in the house and have used dreft or hypoallergenic detergent since. I also stay away from lotions, etc. now it only happens about 1x a yr so and thats usually b/c Ive been around something that triggered it. I went to an allergist/immunologist at a children's hospital and that was when it was discovered. good luck

Chronic hives indicates you are allergic to something. Antihistamines like Zyrtec and Allegra are used to treat acute outbreaks of lives. your best bite is to consult with an Allergist and found the underlining cases of these hives. Also, an allergist will be able to test for a variety substances you may be allergic to including those you mentioned above. Best of Luck, Nick J.

I get them all the time. I have very sensitive skin. If I scratch myself I break out in hives. try using a very mild soap like dove cooling wash, the green one. Also, don't scratch, even if you itch. it only makes it worse.

All I have to do is go outside (or even in the shower) I get hives…

OTC Claratin for HIVES…( most stores have it.) it works for me…and it doesn't make you sleepy or sick. (steroids aren't good long term. most of the time it makes matters worse when you have allergies.)

I had a few incidents of hives. The problem is, it could be almost any chemical.

Soap, Shampoo, Detergent

-I narrowed it down to a new moisturizer I was using. I dumped it for non-allergic baby lotion.